New Show! Finally…

So.. I’m finally in a new show!

My last show I did was last November.

It’s been a year since I’ve been in a show.

Any who, I’m in the ensemble for my school’s production of Beauty and the Beast! My long-time readers know that I attend a fine-arts school, and it’s only my second year there. Beauty and the Beast is an all-grade production. I got a callback for the supporting role of Madame de la Grande Bouche. That was incredible.. but the role ended up going to a Senior.. which wasn’t hard to believe.

Any who, we’re going to try to learn all the music before Thanksgiving Break. In three weeks. Which is going to be hard. Especially since I’m sick, and I haven’t been to one rehearsal yet. Yeah.. this probably will be hard.

On the bright side.. I’m accomplished two resolutions! Which is good since there are only two more months until the year ends! I’m determined to get all my resolutions done!

Until next time!

Maya

Musical Theatre Questionnaire. :3

Name your 10 favorite musicals in no particular order (on the top of my head.. it’s going to be way too hard to try to edit this never-ending list.)

1. Funny Girl

2. Company

3. Honk!

4. Wicked

5. Next to Normal

6. West Side Story

7. Gypsy

8. Book of Mormon

9. Wizard of Oz.

10. Sound of Music

What’s your favorite song from play 2 (Company): DON’T DO THIS TO ME. I’M DOING TOP FIVE!! Company, Another Hundred People, Getting Married Today, Being Alive, and Ladies Who Lunch. There.

Who is your favorite character from play 4 (Wicked): Elphie? :/

What’s your favorite scene from play 5 (Next to Normal): Too many. Top five again. Just Another Day scene, How Could I Ever Forget? scene, There’s a World scene, Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I’m Falling scene, and Light scene. :3

What’s your favorite lyric from play 8 (Book of Mormon): Umm.. the whole show? I have a lot… Imagine that your mind is made of tiny boxes, then find the box that’s gay and CRUSH IT, okay?! Maybe it’s just Rory O’Malley’s delivery, but that lyrics gets me all the time.

From play 10 which character are you most like (Sound of Music): Maria. I’m pretty good with kids. I like music. That’s about it.

Can you quote every line from play 1 (Funny Girl)? Guilty. I have seen this movie 5032750150475 times. No joke. I can’t watch this movie with my friends anymore. It really annoys them.

How many times have you seen play 3 (Honk!)? ONCE! With a professional touring company. Okay, I’ve seen some pretty emotional shows live (movies-musicals are a whole different thing) and I’ve chocked up on a couple things before. But, I bawled hysterically in this show. My friends laughed at me.. but you know.. it’s cool. It’s such a good show.

If you could be anyone from play 6, who would it be, why (West Side Story)? This show + this question = confused Maya. For all my life (I’ve been watching this movie awhile), I knew Anita was the role. She had my range. But, lately, I’m starting to get this soprano range. And I’m like “woah!? where did this come from?!?!” So… ummm… Maria. Next question please.

What’s your favorite song from play 7 (Gypsy)? Rose’s Turn. I also like Everything’s Coming up Roses.. but Rose’s Turn is the ultimate.

What’s your favorite quote from play 9 (Wizard of Oz)? “A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.” – The Wizard.. deep stuff.

Who’s the best Broadway actor? Right now? Andrew Rannells.

Who’s the best Broadway actress? Su Fo.

What’s the best musical they turned into a movie? Phantom. Haha, no. Kidding. Oldie is West Side Story. Newbie is Chicago.

Busyness Ahead!

My first techie challenge: High School Musical 2. Blackout week starts Sunday. Rehearsals from 8:30 in the morning to 11pm at night. This is going to be interesting. But, hey: I’ll do anything, and I mean anything, more Thespian points!

The Aristocats was announced today as the season’s opener! I can’t wait to audition. There are a lot of possible roles for me… but I think the main role I’d go for is Duchess – the momma cat. It’s the perfect “maternal” role – which is my type. If not that, I would definitely settle for one of the geese or even Scat Cat, which can be played by boy or girl! Auditions should come up sometime soon.

And I’m auditioning for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. There’s only one role I could have – children’s chorus. I’m auditioning in less than a month! Fortunately, I’m not too worried about auditions because I know the audition song they’ll teach us inside and out.

Other upcoming auditions are:

Christmas Carol: We’ll see how this works out. This show, along with Joseph and Sound of Music will perform shows during school hours. Next year, I’m already planning on missing a couple days for other extra things (Junior Thespian trip, Large Group Performance Evaluation for choir, All State Choir Round One Auditions, Bus-In Show for choir, and hopefully some other bus-in shows (if I get casted in Beauty and the Beast) and hopefully All State Choir Round Two Auditions then All State Chorus SHOW. That’s seven things right there. We can only be tardy for five things unexcused. ANYWAYS, I’m not too familiar with the show, so, I’ll take whatever they’ll give.

Beauty and the Beast: This is my school’s BIG musical! I’m very excited to audition, but since I’m still a pretty new student, I’m shooting for ensemble! I’d love a lead, but I just want to be in this show.

Sound of Music: I’m a tall thirteen year-old. This leaves me in a weird spot. In my opinion, I’m too young and not qualified enough to play Liesl, but I just might be too tall for the thirteen-year-old role. Nevertheless, I’m auditioning whether they can use me or not.

You know what would be really helpful right now, musicaltheatreaudition.com. Yeah, too bad it’s down. Because I’m absolutely nothing without it.

*sighs* Anyway, I just wanted to fill y’all in. I don’t know what you’re going to get out of this post besides the fact that you know what shows I’m auditioning for! I guess that’s the point of these blogs, isn’t it? Ya know.. strep throat is going around? It’s true. Okay. I’m just rambling now! I’ll stop. Bye.

- Maya

 

Book of Mormon, Next to Normal, and a New Hobby!

1. Book of Mormon: The best thing that’s ever been through my headphones. The entire album. Phenomenal. It completely deserved it’s Tony sweep. I actually wish it won some more things. Rory O’Malley should’ve won over John Larroquette. And though I absolutely LOVE Norbert Leo Butz and he gave an amazing performance and all, but man. Andrew Rannells. In a perfect world, Norbert and Andrew would’ve tied. It’s hard to choose one over the other. They’re both great. Uhhh… I’m not going to try to decide. Because it hurts me.

2. Next to Normal: I’m going to see the touring company tomorrow! This will mark the first show I’ve seen twice professionally. I’m so excited! The girl playing Natalie, Emma Hunton, is supposed to be phenomenal! And plus, Alice Ripley. She’s been sick a lot on tour, but I’m hoping she makes it for the show I’ll see.

3. My New Hobby: Broadway fan mail! Last week, I sent fan mail to Jenn Damiano, Rose Hemingway (How to Succeed), and Sutton Foster. And a couple days ago, I got a reply back from Sutton! She sent a signed headshot and she signed my questionnaire! I love Broadway fan mail! Every one of you theatre nerds should do it! But, a rule of thumb, you can’t check the mail box everyday. You have to send it and forget about it. I really want to right some more soon. Most likely to some Book of Mormon peoples!

- Maya

“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” Review

I saw How to Succeed on Friday, June 17 at the Al Hirshfeld Theatre. I was lucky with phenomenal last-minute seats. Fourth row center orchestra isn’t too shabby. I don’t have a favorite place to sit in the theatre. Though it’s great seeing the whole “picture” from the mezzanine, I love sitting closely so I can examine the actors more closely. Watching the sweat drip of their face and their saliva come out of their mouths is the special aspect of theatre. You don’t see that in the movies (well… you know what I mean.)

How to Succeed is a musical based off of the business life in 1961. It’s like Mad Men with songs! The story is of a young man, Finch, and his embark on a journey of the business world. He works his way up from the mailroom to the head of the business. I love watching shows from the 60′s because it seems like so long ago, but we have a lot of the same problems today. Feminism is a big topic in the story. Though women have rights today, I think the topic of prejudice and discrimination are very fresh in today’s society.

Daniel Radcliffe is a very good Broadway actor. He’s a surprisingly strong dancer. However, his singing wasn’t very strong. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t have the Broadway quality that many men had in the show. Should he have been nominated for a Tony? No, probably not. I think Aaron (Catch Me if you Can) is more deserving that Daniel. Was he good and did he handle his role well? Definitely, yes. He held his own and does have a special charisma that’s important for Broadway stars. He had that smile and those eyes. For being the phenomenon that he is, I think he did a surprisingly good job. I don’t think he was robbed of a Tony nomination, but he still did a fantastic job.

John Larroquette stole the show. He added so many different things to the role that I’ve never seen in that role. He’s such a hilarious character and when he was onstage, you couldn’t take your eyes off of him. He also held his own in dancing. John did a fantastic job with his role. However, I can’t say whether or not he deserved his Tony. Don’t get me wrong – he was fabulous. The role just wasn’t a Tony-winning role. There were very strong competitors, but I haven’t seen all of the nominees, so I can’t say who deserved it. But I’m not very disappointed with the choice because he did a wonderfully fantabulous job.

Rose Hemingway made her Broadway debut in the role of Rosemary. She did fantastic. Her voice was so strong and clear. She also had great chemistry with Daniel and everyone onstage. Christopher J. Hanke played the role of Bud Frump. Bud is supposed to be the “bad guy” in the show – but I kind of wanted him to win. Which never happens. He was so hilarious and cute… I couldn’t help not to like him. I really hope to see more of Christopher – he’s a great actor. The rest of the company were absolutely spectacular. Such beautiful dancers – but equally good singers.

The set and costumes of How to Succeed were fabulous. Such a glamorous mid-century-modern look. It made me feel like I was going through a time machine – which I think should be the mission of most revivals. I love when shows have a “signature” something. I still remember the bright turquoise bow-tie that Daniel Radcliffe wore throughout the show very clearly. They were selling them with the other items! Set and costumes are very important for revivals. They must stay devoted to the time period, but seem new and fresh. How to Succeed did a great job keeping all of those things in mind.

Overall, How to Succeed was a great production. The songs and book are timeless. The actors were very strong and although it was obvious Daniel wasn’t a trained singer – his charm helped him through. I can’t say whether or not it should’ve won Best Revival. I didn’t have the opportunity to see Anything Goes, so I can’t be so sure. If you have a spare night, like I did, this is a great show. If you came down here to only see one show.. it may not be the best option. If you’re a Harry Potter junkie, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime-chance to see Daniel sing and dance in this big role. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen the show so many times, but it didn’t have that special something that’s in most shows I’ve seen. Perhaps it didn’t have a “heart.” To me, there’s a difference between the leading man and the heart. They are two different roles. To end this post on a happy note, I would recommend this show to my friends. Great piece of work. Great revival. Bravo.

There was absolutely no way to go to stagedoor. With herds of Harry Potter fans lining up the aisles (waiting until intermission), I couldn’t see a thing. Though I would’ve loved some autographs and pictures, no stagedoor for this show.

- Maya

Not Again!

http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com is down again. I just checked it a while ago, hopefully it comes back up soon!

I’m not going through another one of those phases again without MTA. :/

This isn’t good! If it comes back up, and I haven’t deleted this post… please comment!

- Maya

“Catch Me if you Can” Review

I saw Catch Me if you Can on Thursday, June 16th at the Neil Simon Theatre. I sat in the front-row left mezzanine, which were absolutely amazing seats. I could see everything happening onstage. The theatre is timeless and beautiful, however, it’s very cramped and barely any legroom (and I was front row.)

The story is based of the movie blockbuster – Catch Me if you Can - starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. It’s the real-life story of Frank Abagnale Jr. Frank was a con-artist who stole millions of dollars in bad checks. Carl Hanratty is a FBI agent who devotes his life to catch Frank. Soon enough, he figures out that he’s a kid (Frank was 16 when he ran away from home) and sympathizes for him. Other topics include Frank’s parents getting a divorce and Frank’s love interest in the story – Brenda. Unlike the movie, the musical really goes into the relationships of all the characters in more depth. I noticed a lot of the same scenes, but I still think the musical did a good job of keeping it’s originality while keeping the movie in mind.

The actors were perfectly casted in their roles. Aaron Tveit is such a strong singer, dancer, and actor. He carried the whole show on his back – and did a fantastic job. I say this without being a complete fangirl: He was robbed for a Tony nomination. He should’ve definitely been nominated – especially if the show was nominated for Best Musical. He had amazing chemistry with every actor onstage and he had a presence that was perfect for the role. He played it innocently, but still very suave.  I really hope Aaron has a long career ahead of him because he’s truly extraordinary.

Norbert Leo Butz definitely deserved his Tony. He was the “heart” of the show – which I think is essential for most shows. His song was an absolute show-stopper. He can dance like so incredibly, yet still carry the song with his voice. Norbert and Aaron have a very unique chemistry – something you don’t find onstage too often. They seemed so comfortable onstage together, like they were born to one day work together.

Kerry Butler fit her role perfectly. With all the dazzling showgirls, it was refreshing to watch Kerry – so ordinary, but unique in her special ways. She clearly defines the “Big things come in small packages” quote. The woman is so small, but her voice fills the room. I do think she was underused. I wish she could’ve had more stage time, although I soaked up every minute she was onstage. The rest of the cast supported the principals wonderfully.

The set was one of my favorite aspects. I loved having the orchestra onstage. I’ve seen two shows like that – Next to Normal and Catch Me if you Can - and I think I prefer it more. Watching the musicians is a very special dynamic – one that I hope shows continue with. In CMIYC, either the set would be raised from below the stage or the actors would simply push pieces on. I’m loving simplicity right now. Though Catch Me wasn’t totally simplistic, with the band’s part of the stage being very fancy, it had a great balance. Being a Libra (scales/balance), I think balance is important. The show was probably more over-the-top than simplistic, but it still was perfect, in my opinion.

Overall, the show was absolutely spectacular. Like a lot of people have said, it’s one of the best musicals in years. So classic and timeless, yet modern and unique. I’m hoping (maybe the announcement has been made) that it’ll go on tour. If you have the opportunity to see it – GO. That’s all I can say. It’s wonderfully written and the music is fabulous. Marc and Scott did yet another fantastic job. I think that it’ll be interesting to see how big the show gets. Hairspray is a huge hit for community theatres, and I wonder if Catch Me will be the next hit. I hope it goes far though because it’s terrific.

Should it have gotten more Tony nominations? Yes! A lot more.

Should it have won Best Musical? No. Book of Mormon was completely worthy of that title. However, if Mormon came out another season, I think it would’ve had a good chance.

I probably left out a few parts for a substantial Broadway review, but if you have any direct comments about anything – feel free to comment below!!

- Maya

P.S. I’ll post all of my stagedoor and show pictures when I have the opportunity!

New York in a Week! :D

So.. I’m going to New York next Wednesday! I’m really, really excited! My choir is singing at Lincoln Center which is another super exciting event! I can say I made my “New York debut.”

As for shows, rehearsals are taking up  a lot of free time! So, we got definite tickets to Catch Me if you Can (front row mezzanine)!! And we’re going to get rush tickets to anything else. So, most likely, I’ll get to see something like Chicago… and I’ve been following what shows have rush tickets.. and How to Succeed, Fantasticks, Spider Man, Memphis, and Addams Family have been showing up a lot.. so maybe I’ll get to see one of those!

That’s all for now! I’ll take a lot of pictures!

- Maya

Auditions for Drama 3!

As most of my long-time followers know, I attend a fine arts school. This year my chosen fine arts classes were: Drama 1, Chorus, and Ballet 1. Next year, I’m taking: Drama 2, Chorus, and Tap/Jazz 1. In the middle of next year, Drama 2 students audition for the Drama 3 class.

For Drama 3, you can either sing a musical theatre song and perform a monologue OR perform two contrasting monologues. My plan is to sing a song and perform a monologue.

I know that my drama teacher is a die-hard-Sondheim-fan (I mean, who isn’t), so I was thinking of singing I Know Things Now from “Into the Woods.” Any other suggestions? For both monologues and songs?

Bye!

Maya

My Community Theatre’s New Season!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Christmas Carol (They do this every year)

Chicago

Sound of Music

Exciting, right?! I can audition for three out of four! I would do anything for a role in Sound of Music, but there is some tough competition. I don’t know anything about Joseph, but according to MTA, there’s a children’s chorus? I’m going to buy the album. My drama teacher played the Narrator in Joseph on Broadway! Isn’t that awesome? Hopefully I can ask her some questions about it.

Any other audition advice about any of the shows would be much appreciated!

Maya